Stabilizing mouthpiece with lateral shift guards

ABSTRACT

A stabilizing mouthpiece includes features that reduce or prevent displacement of the mouthpiece either laterally or forward and backward when the mouthpiece is in use. In one implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece may include one or more lateral shift guards that rest adjacent to inner or outer surfaces of a user&#39;s molars, incisors, or cuspids. In another implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece may include elongated ridges or biased grips that resist posterior-to-anterior movement of the mouthpiece.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, entitled “Stabilizing Mouthpiece with lower Stabilizing Ridge”and also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled“Stabilizing Mouthpiece with Grips.” Both of these applications arefiled concurrently with the present application, and are specificallyincorporated by reference for all that they disclose and teach.

BACKGROUND

To reduce or prevent injury to the teeth, lips, and gums, athletes oftenwear mouth guards during contact sports. Other individuals wear mouthguards at night to prevent nocturnal jaw clenching or grinding of teeth.However, mouth guards protect most effectively when firmly securedbetween the upper and lower teeth. Conventional mouth guards have thetendency to slide either laterally or forward and backward if the userrelaxes his or her bite, particularly if physical contact occurs (e.g.,during a sporting event) while the user's bite is relaxed.

SUMMARY

A stabilizing mouthpiece includes features that reduce or preventdisplacement of the mouthpiece from a secured position within a user'smouth. According to one implementation, the stabilizing mouthpieceincludes a u-shaped baseplate and at least one set of grips positionedon at least one surface of the u-shaped baseplate, each set of gripsproximal to an end of the u-shaped baseplate. Each set of grips maycontact molars in a user's mouth when the mouthpiece is in use.

According to another implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece includesa u-shaped baseplate and at least one lateral shift guard protrudingfrom an edge of the u-shaped baseplate. The lateral shift guard isproximal to an end of the u-shaped baseplate and has a totallongitudinal length that is less that a distance between a most anteriorpoint and a most posterior point on the baseplate.

According to yet another implementation, the stabilizing mouthpieceincludes a u-shaped baseplate and a ridge substantially orthogonal tothe baseplate that protrudes from an inner edge of the baseplate. Theridge curves around a center of the u-shaped baseplate and has a totallength less than a length of the u-shaped baseplate.

This Summary is provided to introduce an election of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Otherfeatures, details, utilities, and advantages of the claimed subjectmatter will be apparent from the following more particular writtenDetailed Description of various implementations and implementations asfurther illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a top plan view of an example stabilizing mouthpiece.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top plan view of another example stabilizingmouthpiece.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom plan view of another example stabilizingmouthpiece.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece.

FIG. 5 illustrates a front plan view of another example stabilizingmouthpiece.

FIG. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece.

FIG. 8 illustrates another side perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The terms anterior and posterior are used herein to refer to differentareas on a mouthpiece and corresponding areas of a user's mouth. Unlessstated otherwise, the term anterior refers to a front area of a user'smouth and the term posterior refers to a back area of a user's mouth.

The directional terms “upward-facing”, “downward-facing”,“posterior-facing”, and “anterior-facing” are also used herein todescribe the direction that various surfaces of the mouthpiece face whenthe mouthpiece is oriented within a user's mouth. In this context, theterm “posterior-facing” refers to a surface facing the back of theuser's mouth; “anterior-facing” refers to a surface facing the front ofa user's mouth; “upward-facing” refers to a surface that may face thetop (e.g., upper teeth) of a user's mouth and “downward-facing” refersto a surface that may face the bottom (e.g., tongue and lower teeth) ofa user's mouth.

Although features of the implementations illustrated disclosed hereinare primarily discussed with respect to a mouthpiece fitted for a user'supper teeth, various features disclosed may also be useful forimplementation in a stabilizing mouthpiece for a user's lower teeth.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top perspective view of an example stabilizingmouthpiece 100. The stabilizing mouthpiece 100 includes a posteriorportion 126 and an anterior portion 124. The posterior portion 126underlies or substantially underlies a user's molars (e.g., firstmolars, second molars, third molars) and one or more cuspids (e.g.,cuspids, first bicuspids, second bicuspids) when the mouthpiece is inuse. The anterior portion 124 is forward of the posterior portion 126and underlies or substantially underlies the users incisors (e.g.,central incisor, lateral incisors) and one or more cuspids when themouthpiece 100 is in use.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 100 includes a central channel 102 formed bya base 114, an inner sidewall 104, and an outer sidewall 106. Thecentral channel 102 is sized and shaped to receive and cradle the user'supper teeth. The central channel 102 has a width (i.e., separationbetween the inner sidewall 104 and outer sidewall 106) such that theinner sidewall 104 and outer sidewall 106 may rest adjacent to or incontact with the sides of the user's upper teeth when the stabilizingmouthpiece 100 is in use.

When the user's jaw relaxes, a grip between the upper and lower teeth“loosens” and conventional mouthpieces may become vulnerable tomovement. However, the central channel 102 includes sets ofupward-facing biased grips 120 and 122 that reduce or prevent eitherposterior or anterior sliding of the mouthpiece when the user's grip isloosened. As used herein, the term grip refers to one or moreprotrusions or indentations on the baseplate. The protrusions orindentations may be a variety of sizes and shapes. In FIG. 1, each setof the biased grips 120 and 122 includes three inclined “steps” thatslant upward away from the base 114 with distance in the anteriordirection. Consequently, the mouthpiece 100 may slide in the posteriordirection more easily than the anterior direction when the mouthpiece isgripped between the upper and lower teeth. In another implementation,the biased grips 120 and 122 each include one or more inclined stepsthat slant upward away from the base 114 with distance in the posteriordirection. In other implementations, a set of grips may include anynumber of such steps (e.g., ridges), which may be biased or unbiased.

The biased grips 120 and 122 are positioned within the posterior portion126 within opposite ends of the u-shaped channel 102. Between the grips120 and 122, the base 114 has a central portion that is substantiallyflat along a surface 116 within the u-shaped channel 102. When thestabilizing mouthpiece 100 is in use, each of the stabilizing grips 120and 122 underlies or substantially underlies one or more of the user'stop molars. In one implementation, the biased grips 120 and 122 underliethe rear-most top molars (e.g., the second or third top molars). Inanother implementation, the biased grips underlie one or more cuspids orincisors.

The outer sidewall 106 may have a constant or variable height. Toprovide for comfort, stability, and/or ease of insertion, the height ofthe outer sidewall 106 may be greater than a height of the innersidewall 104. In an implementation where the height of the outersidewall 106 is variable, the height of the outer sidewall 106 is, atany point, greater than or equal to a corresponding height on the innersidewall 104. In the same or another implementation, the height of theouter sidewall 106 increases with distance in the anterior directionalong substantially the length of the stabilizing mouthpiece 100. In oneimplementation, the outer sidewall 106 has a maximum height in a regionadjacent to a user's central incisors and a minimum height in a regionadjacent to the second or third molars. The outer sidewall 106 graduallydecreases in height with distance between the region of maximum heightand the region of minimum height.

Similarly, the inner sidewall 104 may have a substantially constantheight or a variable height. In one implementation, the height of theinner sidewall 104 is variable and decreases with distance in theanterior direction along substantially a length of the stabilizingmouthpiece 100 from a most posterior portion to a most anterior portionof the inner sidewall 104.

The mouthpiece 100 also includes a cleft groove 130 within the outersidewall 106 that may substantially align with the user's medial cleft(i.e., the vertical groove in the middle of the upper lip) when themouthpiece 100 is in use.

According to one or more implementations, features of the stabilizingmouthpiece 100 can be molded to a user's mouth for a customized fit. Forexample, the user may heat the stabilizing mouthpiece 100 and then bitedown on opposing surfaces of the base 114 to further shape the base 114and the grips 120 and 122 that rest against the user's teeth.

A variety of materials may be used to construct the stabilizingmouthpiece 100 including, without limitation, foams, rubbers, plastics,etc. In one implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece 100 is adual-material structure with a harder outer shell (e.g., adjacent to orcontacting the inside of the user's cheeks and upper lip) and a morepliable inner shell (e.g., adjacent to or contacting the user's upperteeth). In one such implementation, the central channel 102 is part ofthe “inner shell” and constructed of a different material than one ormore other features belonging to an outer shell.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top perspective view of another example stabilizingmouthpiece 200. The stabilizing mouthpiece 200 includes a u-shapedbaseplate 202 (rather than a u-shaped channel, as illustrated in FIG.1). The u-shaped baseplate 202 has an inner edge 204 and an outer edge206 that are each substantially planar to a substantially flat surface214. The u-shaped baseplate 202 may rest between a user's upper andlower teeth, preventing contact between the upper and lower teeth (e.g.,preventing grinding when the user is sleeping). The u-shaped baseplateincludes upward-facing biased grips 220 and 222 positioned within aposterior portion of the stabilizing mouthpiece 200 and on opposite endsof the u-shaped baseplate. Between the grips 220 and 222, the u-shapedbase 202 is substantially flat along the surface 214. When thestabilizing mouthpiece 200 is in use, each of the stabilizing grips 220and 222 underlies or substantially underlies one or more of the user'stop molars. In one implementation, the biased grips 220 and 222 underliethe rear-most top molars (e.g., the second or third top molars). Inanother implementation, the biased grips underlie one or more cuspids orincisors. Other features of the stabilizing mouthpiece 200 with theu-shaped baseplate 202 may be the same or similar to FIG. 1 or to otherimplementations disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece 300. A downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 316rests adjacent to or in contact with a user's lower teeth when thestabilizing mouthpiece 300 is in use. An opposite surface of themouthpiece (not shown) cradles and/or rests adjacent to the user's upperteeth.

The downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 316 includes biased grips 320 and322, which function to reduce forward and backward (i.e., anterior andposterior) sliding of the stabilizing mouthpiece 300 while themouthpiece 300 positioned is within the user's mouth. In particular, thegrips 320 and 322 illustrated in FIG. 3 extend away from thedownward-facing u-shaped baseplate 316 and slant toward the front of auser's mouth to reduce posterior-to-anterior sliding of the stabilizingmouthpiece 300. In another implementation, the grips 320 and 322 slantin another direction (e.g., toward the back of the user's mouth). In yetanother implementation, the grips 320 and 322 are textured areas that donot “slant” but still provide a gripable surface to reduce movement ofthe mouthpiece in the anterior and/or posterior directions.

The biased grips 320 and 322 are positioned on opposite ends thedownward-facing u-shaped baseplate 316 so as to each substantiallyoverlie one or more of a user's bottom molars. In one implementation,the biased grips 320 and 322 substantially overlie the rear-most bottommolars (e.g., the second or third bottom molars).

In this or another implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece 300 hasopposing biased grips (not shown) on an upward-facing surface of theu-shaped baseplate 316. The opposing biased grips are axially alignedwith the biased grips 320 and 322. Specifically, the opposing grips maybe adjacent to or in contact with the user's top molars while the grips320 and 322 are adjacent to or in contact with the user's bottom molars.The opposing biased grips may be biased in the same or substantially thesame direction as the biased grips 320 and 322. In one implementation,one or more of the opposing grips and/or biased grips 320 and 322 can bemolded to uniquely fit a user's bite. For example, the user may heat thestabilizing mouthpiece 300, position the stabilizing mouthpiece 300within his or her mouth, and bite down on the stabilizing mouthpiece 300to further mold opposing surfaces of the downward-facing u-shapedbaseplate 316, the opposing grips, and the biased grips 320 and 322.

In addition to the biased grips 320 and 322, the stabilizing mouthpiece300 further includes two pairs of lateral shift guards, each pairincluding an inner lateral shift guard (e.g., inner lateral shift guards336 and 338) and an outer lateral shift guard (e.g., outer lateral shiftguards 334 and 340). Each of the inner lateral shift guards 336 and 338is positioned along an inner edge of the downward-facing u-shapedbaseplate 316. Each of the outer lateral shift guards 334 and 340 ispositioned along an outer edge of the downward facing u-shaped baseplate316, opposite a corresponding inner lateral shift guard. When themouthpiece 300 is in use, one or more of the user's lower molars mayrest between each pair of lateral shift guards (e.g., a pair of lateralshift guards 334 and 336), substantially reducing or preventing lateralmovement of the mouthpiece 300 within the user's mouth.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 300 further includes a bottom ridge 342(i.e., a lower stabilizing ridge) substantially orthogonal to thedownward-facing u-shaped baseplate 316, which protrudes toward theuser's bottom teeth when the stabilizing mouthpiece 300 is in use. Thebottom ridge 342 spans a distance along the center of an inner edge ofthe u-shaped baseplate 316, proximal to the user's upper front teeth. Inoperation, an anterior facing surface 318 of the bottom ridge 342 mayrest adjacent to or in contact with the inside of the user's lower frontteeth (e.g., central and lateral incisors) to further reduce or preventposterior-to-anterior movement of the stabilizing mouthpiece 300.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 300 is a dual-shell structure having an outershell 330 and an inner shell visible through a number of openings (e.g.,an opening 332) in the outer shell 330. In one implementation the outershell 330 is made from a first, rigid material, while the inner shell(e.g., the inner shell visible through the opening 332) is made from asecond, more pliable material. Although the openings in the outer shell330 are shown to be substantially square or rectangular, a variety ofshapes are contemplated.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece 400. The stabilizing mouthpiece 400 includes aposterior portion 426 and an anterior portion 424. The posterior portion426 underlies or substantially underlies one or more of a user's topmolars and top cuspids (e.g., cuspids, first bicuspids, secondbicuspids), and the anterior portion 424 underlies or substantiallyunderlies the user's top incisors (e.g., central incisor, lateralincisors) and one or more top cuspids. The stabilizing mouthpiece 400includes a base (not shown) that connects an inner sidewall 404 to anouter sidewall 406, forming a u-shaped channel (not shown). The u-shapedchannel is sized to substantially align with a user's jawline and shapedto receive and cradle a user's upper teeth.

In another implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece 400 does notinclude the u-shaped channel. Rather, the stabilizing mouthpiece 400includes a u-shaped baseplate without inner and outer sidewalls. Whilesuch an implementation may not protect the front of a user's teeth fromcontact (e.g., a hit during a contact sporting event), suchimplementation may be worn, for example, while the user sleeps toprevent grinding of the upper and lower teeth.

In FIG. 4, the outer sidewall 406 gradually increases in height withdistance in the anterior direction between a most posterior point on theouter sidewall 406 and a most anterior point on the outer sidewall 406.Thus, the height of the outer sidewall 406 is at a minimum in a regionproximal to the rear-most molar and at a maximum in a region proximal tothe user's central incisors (i.e., two front teeth). The height of theouter sidewall 406 may vary according to design criteria (e.g.,according to the size of a user's mouth). However, in one implementationthe outer sidewall 406 has a variable height that gradually increasesfrom about 2 to about 5 millimeters between the most posterior point ofthe outer sidewall 406 and the most anterior point of the outer sidewall406. The inner sidewall 404 may have a height that is substantiallyconsistent or variable. In one implementation, the inner sidewall 404increases in height with distance in the anterior direction between amost posterior point and a most anterior point of the inner sidewall404. In one such implementation, the height of the inner sidewall 404ranges between about 1 and about 3 millimeters.

The mouthpiece 400 is a dual-shell structure with an outer shell 430made from a first, rigid material and an inner shell 442 made from asecond, more pliable material. The outer shell 430 has a number ofopenings (e.g., an openings 432) through which the inner shell 442 isvisible. The inner shell 442 nests snugly within the outer shell 430 andmay be attached to the outer shell 440 in a variety of ways (e.g.,adhesives, injection molding, etc.).

Additionally, the stabilizing mouthpiece 400 includes at least twolateral shift guards (e.g., a lateral shift guard 440) that extend awayfrom a downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 416 of the mouthpiece andtoward the user's lower teeth. The lateral shift guards may bepositioned along the outer edge of the downward-facing u-shapedbaseplate 416 (e.g., axially aligned with the outer sidewall 406), suchas the lateral shift guard 440, or positioned along an inner edge (notshown) of the downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 416 (e.g., axiallyaligned with the inner sidewall 404).

FIG. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece 500. The stabilizing mouthpiece 500 includes acleft groove 530, which may substantially align with a user's medialcleft when the stabilizing mouthpiece 500 is in use. Additionally, thestabilizing mouthpiece 500 includes two pairs of lateral shift guards(e.g., a first pair 534 and 536 and a second pair 538 and 540), whichreduce or prevent lateral movement of the stabilizing mouthpiece 500.Inner lateral shift guards 536 and 538 are each positioned along aninner edge of a downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 516 (e.g., axiallyaligned with a inner sidewall (not shown)) so as to rest adjacent to orin contact with an inside surface of one or more of the user's lowermolars. Similarly, each of the outer lateral shift guards 534 and 540are positioned opposite a corresponding inner lateral shift guard andalong an outer edge of the downward-facing u-shaped surface 516 (e.g.,axially aligned with an outer sidewall 506) so as to rest adjacent to orin contact with an outside surface of one or more of a user's lowermolars.

In some implementations, one or more lateral shift guards or pairs oflateral shift guards are positioned adjacent to teeth that are notmolars (e.g., cuspids or incisors). The mouthpiece 500 may include oneor more outer lateral guards without a corresponding inner lateral guardor one or more inner lateral guards without a corresponding outerlateral guard.

The height of the inner and outer lateral guards may be variable orconstant. In one implementation, the height of the lateral shift guardsis variable and ranges from a minimum height of about 2 millimeters to amaximum height of about 5 millimeters. In the same or anotherimplementation, the height of the lateral shift guards increases withdistance in the posterior-to-anterior direction. In one implementation,the outer lateral guards 534 and 540 have a maximum height that is thesame or different from a maximum height of the inner lateral guards 536and 538.

The length of the lateral shift guards may vary depending on designcriteria. However, in one implementation the lateral shift guards arebetween 1.5 and 2 cm long. The u-shaped baseplate is may be about 9-10cm long when measured along an inner edge and about 13-14 cm long whenmeasured along an outer edge.

FIG. 6 illustrates a rear perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece 600. The stabilizing mouthpiece 600 includes au-shaped baseplate 614 that connects an inner sidewall 604 to an outersidewall 606, forming a u-shaped channel 602. The u-shaped channel 602is sized to substantially align with a user's jawline and shaped toreceive and cradle a user's upper teeth.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 600 includes an inner shell 642 and an outershell 630. In one implementation, the inner shell 642 is made of afirst, pliable material and the outer shell 630 is made of a second,more ridged material. In another implementation, the inner shell 642 andouter shell 630 are made of an identical material. In yet anotherimplementation, the inner shell 642 and the outer shell 630 are made ofdifferent materials that have substantially similar hardness values. Theouter shell 630 may wrap around some or all of an anterior-facingsurface (not shown) of the outer sidewall 606. When the stabilizingmouthpiece 600 is in use, a user's upper teeth may rest within thestabilizing mouthpiece 600 and adjacent to or in contact with the innershell 642. The outer shell 630 may rest adjacent to or in contact with auser's lower teeth.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 600 further includes a bottom ridge 642 thatextends along an inner edge of downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 616 ofthe stabilizing mouthpiece 600 and toward a user's bottom teeth. Aposterior-facing surface of the bottom ridge 642 is flush (e.g.,substantially smooth, aligned with) the inner sidewall 604. Ananterior-facing surface (not shown) of the bottom ridge 642 may restadjacent to or in contact with an inside (posterior-facing) surface ofthe user's lower front teeth to inhibit or prevent forward movement ofthe stabilizing mouthpiece 600 out of the user's mouth. The dimensionsof the lower ridge 642 may vary; however, in one implementation, thelower ridge 642 has a height (e.g., distance in a direction orthogonalto the base 614) of approximately 1 to 2 mm and a longitudinal length ofapproximately 2.5 to 3.5 cm). The inner wall 604 has a total length ofbetween about 9 and 10 cm. In one implementation, the center of theridge is adjacent to a most anterior point of the inner wall. In anotherimplementation, the center of the ridge is adjacent to a most anteriorpoint on an inner edge of the u-shaped baseplate.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 600 includes two pairs of lateral shiftguards which each include an inner lateral shift guard (e.g., innerlateral shift guards 636 and 638) and a corresponding outer lateralshift guard (e.g., outer lateral shift guards 634 and 640,respectively). The inner lateral shift guards 636 and 638 are eachpositioned along an inner edge of the surface 616 (e.g., axially alignedwith the inner sidewall 604) so as to rest adjacent to or in contactwith an inside surface of one or more of the user's lower molars.Similarly, each of the outer lateral shift guards 634 and 640 arepositioned opposite the corresponding inner lateral shift guard andalong an outer edge of the surface 616 (e.g., axially aligned with theouter sidewall 606) so as to rest adjacent to or in contact with anoutside surface of one or more of a user's lower molars.

Biased grips 620 and 622 are included within either end of the centralchannel 602. The biased grips 620 and 622 are ridges that slant upward,away from the base 614 with distance in the posterior-to-anterior.

In one implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece 600 does not includethe inner sidewall 604 and outer sidewall 606; therefore, there is nou-shaped channel 602. Rather, there is a u-shaped baseplate (not shown)in place of the u-shaped channel 602. In such an implementation, otherfeatures of FIG. 6 (e.g., the biased grips 620 and/or 622, the bottomridge 642, the lateral shift guards 636, 634 638, and/or 640) may beincluded in any combination.

FIG. 7 illustrates a side perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece 700. The stabilizing mouthpiece 700 includes abase 714 that connects an inner sidewall 704 to an outer sidewall 706,forming a u-shaped channel 702. The u-shaped channel 702 is sized tosubstantially align with a user's jawline and shaped to receive andcradle a user's upper teeth.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 700 also includes a bottom ridge 742 thatextends along an inner edge of a downward-facing u-shaped baseplate 716(e.g., a surface of the base 714 that is opposite the channel 702) andtoward a user's bottom teeth. An anterior-facing surface (not shown) ofthe bottom ridge 742 may rest adjacent to or in contact with theposterior-facing surface of the user's lower front teeth.

The stabilizing mouthpiece 700 includes two pairs of lateral shiftguards which each include an inner lateral shift guard (e.g., innerlateral shift guards 736 and 738) and a corresponding outer lateralshift guard (e.g., outer lateral shift guards 734 and 740,respectively). The inner lateral shift guards 736 and 738 are eachpositioned along an inner edge of the downward-facing u-shaped baseplate716, axially aligned with the inner sidewall 704. The outer lateralshift guards 734 and 740 are positioned opposite a corresponding innerlateral shift guard and along an outer edge of the downward-facingsurface 716, axially aligned with the outer sidewall 706. Consequently,the inner and outer lateral shift guards may rest adjacent to or incontact with inner and outer surfaces, respectfully, of one or more of auser's lower molars.

Biased grips 720 and 722 are included proximal to opposite ends of thedownward-facing u-shaped baseplate 716. The biased grips 720 and 722each include a number of inclined “steps” that slant away from the basewith distance in the anterior direction. The height of each of theinclined steps may vary in various implementations; however, in oneimplementation each of the inclined steps reaches a maximum distance ofabout 1 mm away from the surface 716.

FIG. 8 illustrates another side perspective view of another examplestabilizing mouthpiece 800. The stabilizing mouthpiece 800 includes au-shaped base 814 that connects an inner sidewall 804 to an outersidewall 806, forming a u-shaped channel (not shown). A bottom ridge 842extends orthogonally from an inner edge of the u-shaped baseplate 814and toward a user's bottom teeth. An anterior-facing surface 818 of thebottom ridge 842 may rest adjacent to or in contact with theposterior-facing surface of the user's lower front teeth so that theuser's lower teeth effectively prevent movement of the stabilizingmouthpiece 800 in the anterior direction (e.g., out of the user'smouth).

The stabilizing mouthpiece 800 also includes two pairs of lateral shiftguards (e.g., a first pair 834 and 836; and a second pair 838 and 840).The lateral shift guards 836 and 838 are each positioned along an inneredge of the surface 816 so as to rest adjacent to or in contact with aninside surface of one or more of the user's lower molars. Similarly,each of the lateral shift guards 834 and 840 are positioned opposite thecorresponding inner lateral shift guard and along an outer edge of thesurface 816 so as to rest adjacent to or in contact with an outsidesurface of the user's lower molars. Biased grips 820 and 822 areincluded along the surface 816, and each include a number of inclined“steps” that slant away from the base with distance in the anteriordirection.

The features discussed with respect to each of the implementationsdisclosed herein are a matter of choice and may depend on the materialsutilized and/or design criteria of a given system. The abovespecification, examples, and data provide a complete description of thestructure and use of exemplary implementations of the invention. Sincemany implementations of the invention can be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in theclaims hereinafter appended.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mouthpiece comprising: a u-shaped baseplate; atleast one lateral shift guard protruding from an edge of the u-shapedbaseplate proximal to an end of the u-shaped baseplate, the lateralshift guard having a total longitudinal length that is less that adistance between a most anterior point and a most posterior point on theu-shaped baseplate.
 2. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the at leastone lateral shift guard further comprises: an inner lateral shift guardproximal to an end of u-shaped baseplate and protruding from an insideedge of the u-shaped baseplate; and an outer lateral shift guard toanother end of the u-shaped baseplate and protruding from an outsideedge of the u-shaped baseplate.
 3. The mouthpiece of claim 2, whereinthe outer lateral shift guard rests adjacent to the outside of a lowermolar when the mouthpiece is in use.
 4. The mouthpiece of claim 2,wherein the inner lateral shift guard rests adjacent to the inside of alower molar when the mouthpiece is in use.
 5. The mouthpiece of claim 2,further comprising: at least one set of grips on a surface of theu-shaped baseplate, the grips positioned between the inner lateral shiftguard and the outer lateral shift guard.
 6. The mouthpiece of claim 2,wherein the inner lateral shift guard and the outer lateral shift guardare adjacent to opposite sides of at least one lower molar when themouthpiece is in use.
 7. The mouthpiece of claim 1, wherein the at leastone lateral shift guard further comprises: two inner lateral shiftguards protruding from an inside edge of the u-shaped baseplate, each ofthe two inner lateral shift guards proximal to an opposite end of theu-shaped baseplate; and two outer lateral shift guards protruding froman outside edge of the u-shaped baseplate, each of the two outer lateralshift guards proximal to an opposite end of the u-shaped baseplate. 8.The mouthpiece of claim 7, wherein each of the inner and outer lateralshift guards have a total longitudinal length that is less that adistance between a most anterior point and a most posterior point on theu-shaped baseplate.
 9. The mouthpiece of claim 2, wherein the inner andouter shift guards are substantially orthogonal to the u-shapedbaseplate.
 10. The mouthpiece of claim 1, further comprising: an innerwall and an outer wall adjacent to opposite sides of the u-shapedbaseplate, forming a u-shaped channel.
 11. The mouthpiece of claim 1,wherein the u-shaped baseplate has a u-shaped surface that is in a sameplane as inner and outer edges of the u-shaped baseplate.
 12. Amouthpiece comprising: a u-shaped baseplate; two inner lateral shiftguards axially aligned with and protruding from an inner edge of theu-shaped baseplate, each of the two inner lateral shift guardspositioned proximal to opposite ends of the u-shaped channel; two outerlateral shift guards axially aligned with and protruding from an outeredge of the u-shaped baseplate, each of the two outer lateral shiftguards positioned proximal to opposite ends of the u-shaped channel. 13.The mouthpiece of claim 12, wherein each of the inner and outer lateralshift guards has a total longitudinal length that is less that adistance between a most anterior point and a most posterior point on theu-shaped baseplate.
 14. The mouthpiece of claim 12, further comprising:an inner wall and an outer wall adjacent to opposite sides of theu-shaped baseplate, forming a u-shaped channel.
 15. The mouthpiece ofclaim 12, wherein the u-shaped baseplate has a u-shaped surface that isin a same plane as inner and outer edges of the u-shaped baseplate. 16.The mouthpiece of claim 14, wherein the two inner lateral shift guardsand the two outer lateral shift guards each protrude from a surface ofthe base opposite the u-shaped channel.
 17. A method comprising:aligning a u-shaped baseplate of a mouthpiece with upper teeth of auser, the mouthpiece including at least one lateral shift guardprotruding from an edge of the u-shaped baseplate and proximal to an endof the u-shaped baseplate, the lateral shift guard having a totallongitudinal length that is less that a distance between a most anteriorpoint and a most posterior point on the u-shaped baseplate; biting downon the mouthpiece to cause the lateral shift guard to rest adjacent to alower tooth in a user's mouth.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein theat least one lateral shift guard further comprises: an inner lateralshift guard proximal to an end of the u-shaped baseplate and protrudingfrom an inside edge of the u-shaped baseplate; and an outer lateralshift guard proximal to the end of the u-shaped baseplate and protrudingfrom an outside edge of the u-shaped baseplate.
 19. The method of claim17, further comprising: an inner wall and an outer wall adjacent toopposite sides of the u-shaped baseplate, forming a u-shaped channel.20. The method of claim 17, wherein the u-shaped baseplate has au-shaped surface that is in a same plane as inner and outer edges of theu-shaped baseplate.